To Nourish Body and Spirit

Fried Kool-Aid—What Next?

Well, now I’ve heard it all—fried Kool-Aid. Just when I thought it could get no worse than fried Twinkies, “Chicken” Charlie Boghosian made a batter from flour, water, and cherry flavored Kool-Aid, scoped it into balls and deep-fried like doughnut holes. Spin-off recipes on the web include egg and milk, but Boghosian isn’t about to share his successful formula. He attempts to introduce a new item each year to his assortment of goodies. Since he loved Kool-Aid as a child, why not try it fried. He introduced the delicacy in June 2011 at the San Diego County Fair. It was an immediate success. For an order of six or seven fried scoops, you could clog your arteries for a mere $5.95.

Not to be outdone, Mark Zable of Plano, TX filled pretzel dough with liquid beer and deep-fried it. He claimed the fried Kool-Aid was only flavored dough balls. His treat used real liquid. I think I’ll pass.

Other unusual health-food challenges presented at the Minnesota State Fair included deep-fried spaghetti and meatballs, bacon-cheddar mashed potatoes, and bologna, all on a stick.

Most nutrition databases don’t include such interesting foods. One thing is sure, all these fried concoctions provide whooping amounts of fat and calories. Don’t look for any nutritive value. How many calories are there in a serving of fried cola dough topped with whipped cream and Coke syrup? One guess—about 830 calories. The Calorie King website gives the following estimates of similar foods. Five ounces fried Snickers (444 calories), two ounces fried Twinkie (420 calories), one Funnel cake (760 calories), one giant turkey leg (1,136 calories).

What will they think of next? Already in the works is fried bubble gum. The product didn’t work with real bubble gum. Instead, the creator used bubble gum-flavored marshmallows dipped in batter, deep-fried, and decorated with icing and powdered sugar.

As a nutritionist noted, foods at fairs and similar functions may be scarier than the dangerous rides offered. In an overweight society, what are we thinking? Such eating wreaks havoc on any health plan and creates a bulging waistline.